University of Bristol

Academic Institute

Laura JohnsonMiss Esther Curtin

B3775

This study will investigate the relationship between anxiety and eating patterns during COVID-19. At this stage in the research, eating patterns are defined by three variables: number of snacks consumed per day, number of meals consumed per day, and dietary intake. We also wish to find out whether individuals with different eating behaviour traits show variable effects. It will entail a secondary data analysis of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a large ongoing study that recruited approximately 14,000 pregnant women from one geographical area in the UK in 1991. Specifically, we will look at their now young adult children (aged approximately 28 years) and their responses on three questionnaires over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2020 to March 2021.

This study will advance current understanding of the change in eating patterns over the course of the pandemic by combining distinct variables that have not yet been examined concurrently. Our analyses may help to elucidate psychometric traits that exacerbate or protect against poor eating patterns during environmental stressors. This could in turn inform screening procedures leading to tailored nutrition interventions for vulnerable populations.

13/05/2021